2243 Lundy Ave   |   San Jose, CA 95131   |   925-401-2004

Design in the trenches

FILTER BY

All Posts
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

04.03.2021

5 Things You Should Know About NRE
Non-recurring engineering (NRE) is a broad term referring to a one-time cost to develop, design, or manufacture a new product. It... READ MORE

04.03.2021

Offshoring to China More Expensive Than United States
Offshoring to China is now more expensive than building in the United States (for the United States). Using objective 3rd party... READ MORE

04.03.2021

SMT Temperature and Humidity Control
One of the most important ways to prevent PCB defects is controlling factory environmental conditions. If the manufacturing... READ MORE

04.03.2021

Avoiding Risk with a Thorough BOM Scrub
A BOM scrub is the act of scanning a Bill-of-Materials (BOM) to clean off any inconsistencies, errors, or potential risks. It... READ MORE

03.03.2021

Cut Tape vs. Tape and Reel
When procuring components, it’s important to pay attention to packaging type. Most component distributors offer the same... READ MORE

03.03.2021

Why You Should Always Use a Solder Sample
A solder sample is non-usable board that represents a usable PCB during test processes. It can be used to test virtually every... READ MORE

03.03.2021

Fixturing vs. Paneling in SMT
When a PCB is thin, small, oddly shaped, or requires SMT components near its edges, chances are these kinds of boards won’t fit... READ MORE

03.03.2021

Reducing the Cost of RoHS Compliance
For small to medium size CMs, the cost of RoHS compliance can be high—5.2% of annual revenue, by some estimates. This figure... READ MORE

02.03.2021

When Do You Repair and When Do You Scrap PCBs?
For mid-size EMS providers, costs of rework can add up quickly. By some estimates, rework alone could result in tens of thousands... READ MORE

02.03.2021

Moisture Sensitivity Levels Explained
Atmospheric moisture absorbed into surface mount packages can expand when exposed to the intense heat of solder reflow ovens.... READ MORE

02.03.2021

Don't Underestimate Solder Paste Inspection
Over 50% of PCB assembly solder joint defects can be traced back to improper or sub-optimal solder paste printing. While good... READ MORE

02.03.2021

Counterfeit Component Risk Management
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) estimates that counterfeit PCB components cost manufacturers more than $7.5 billion... READ MORE

02.03.2021

Best Mid-Sized San Jose PCB Assembly Companies
Mid-size manufacturers hold a special and growing place in the electronics manufacturing industry. They combine high-complexity,... READ MORE

01.03.2021

1 Minute Guide To Supplier Management
Supplier Management starts with cultivating a relationship with your suppliers that will strengthen both businesses and create... READ MORE

01.03.2021

How To Improve Quote Turnaround Time
Customer satisfaction surveys consistently point to quote turnaround time as one of the greatest frustrations of electronic... READ MORE

01.03.2021

5 BOM Obsolescence Management Tips
In today’s market, it can often feel like parts become obsolete the second after they are designed in. It is important to... READ MORE

01.03.2021

The 3 Keys to Customer Satisfaction
The Harvard Business Review recently said that, “Companies that aim for ‘zero defections’ (keeping every customer they can... READ MORE

01.03.2021

3 Most Common PCB Assembly Defects
Minimization of all solder joint defects should be the goal for any SMT manufacturer. Through understanding the defect, its root... READ MORE

25.02.2021

Managing SMT Attrition
Purchasing extra components to keep surface mount technology (SMT) production lines running is the main focus of attrition.... READ MORE

25.02.2021

What is a Lean Office?
A "lean office" is the application of the "Lean" philosophy to front end processes. In the early 1990's, Toyota Manufacturing... READ MORE

25.02.2021

Do Apple and Cisco Need Should Cost Analysis?
Why do companies like Cisco and Apple use should cost analysis? On the surface, it might seem with all that money and all those... READ MORE

25.02.2021

Why Haven’t I Heard of Should Cost Analysis?
According to the University of Arizona, Tucson, cost analysis is also called cost/benefit analysis, cost effectiveness, as well... READ MORE

25.02.2021

Why Price Isn't Always Everything
There's an old saying, Price, Quality, Speed: you can have two. If you want the best price and best quality, it will take... READ MORE

24.02.2021

Several Technologies Converging to Drive PCBA Industry Demand
Several electronic technologies are converging to increase demand in the PCB Industry over the next several years. The driving... READ MORE

24.02.2021

5 Benefits of Surface Mount Fixtures
Before discussing the benefits of fixturing in Surface Mount Technology (SMT) it is worthwhile to clearly define some terms that... READ MORE

24.02.2021

Top 5 Lean Office Pitfalls
Although many contract manufacturing (CM) companies have applied “Lean” practices to their back-end manufacturing, some don't... READ MORE

24.02.2021

5 Tips for BOM Structure
READ MORE

24.02.2021

ISO Certification - The 4 Basic Certifications Explained
Certification of ISO standards by theInternational Organization of Standardization (ISO) have become a major expectation in... READ MORE

23.02.2021

3 Major Ways Mentor Valor MSS Assists in PCBA Assembly
Mentor Graphics’ Valor MSS is one of the most efficient tools available for PCB assembly, and offers complete end-to-end... READ MORE

23.02.2021

Surviving Downturns With Your Contract Manufacturer
It's inevitable: sometimes you need to reschedule the backlog. Mitigating liability is the number one priority. Downturns are... READ MORE

23.02.2021

3 Excess Inventory Solutions
US manufacturers lose an estimated $450 billion annually to excess inventory. The best way to reduce inventory write downs is... READ MORE

22.02.2021

Security of Supply: High Probability Electronic Component Sourcing
What does security of supply mean? The term was originally used by the military to describe the methods of securing supply of... READ MORE

22.02.2021

What is Selective Soldering?
With the growing popularity of SMT technology, through-hole technology is taking up less real estate on a PCB assembly. But... READ MORE

22.02.2021

How To Use SiliconExpert to Reduce Supply Chain Risk
Over 1 million electronic components go obsolete every year. We've all been hurt by obsolescence during our careers, isn't it... READ MORE

22.02.2021

Through-Hole vs. Surface Mount
In recent years, semiconductor packaging has evolved with an increased demand for greater functionality, smaller size, and added... READ MORE

22.02.2021

Contract Manufacturing Cost Control: 4 Key Software Tools
Everyone talks about systems, but how relevant are they to helping you actually cut cost? Here are some software-driven systems... READ MORE

22.02.2021

PCB Ionic Contamination Test
Reliability experts contend that roughly 30 percent of PCBA failures are due to contamination of the bare PCB, and only an... READ MORE

22.02.2021

1 Million Reasons You Need SiliconExpert
Component obsolesence is a much bigger threat than most realize. Here are the little-known reasons you keep getting surprised,... READ MORE

19.02.2021

4 Ways to Eliminate Late Deliveries
4 Ways to Eliminate Component Late Deliveries Late deliveries from component suppliers are one the main sources of production... READ MORE

19.02.2021

Contract Manufacturing Price Cheaper in Mexico Than China
A new Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study titled “The Shifting Economics of Global Manufacturing: An Analysis of the Changing... READ MORE

19.02.2021

What China’s Third Plenum Means for Offshore Manufacturing
Envisioning a new era for China’s economy, in November 2013 top Chinese leaders held the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th... READ MORE

19.02.2021

4 Ways Contract Manufacturing Partners Should Do Cost Reduction
Here are 4 ways you should expect a contract manufacturing partner to be reducing your costs. Poor Component Selection: A... READ MORE

19.02.2021

3 Myths Drive EMS Vendor Selection Mistakes
Is Bigger Always Better in Contract Manufacturing? Bigger is always better, right? So, from an outsourcing perspective it... READ MORE

18.02.2021

Conflict Minerals Quick Facts
What - “Conflict Minerals” refers to tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold mined in or near the Democratic Republic of Congo. The... READ MORE

18.02.2021

PCOLA/SOQ Explained
PCOLA/SOQ is an approach to defining the defect spectrum for PCBA assembly manufacturing that allows the test engineer to... READ MORE

18.02.2021

What is a Complementary Test for PCBA Assembly?
Modern high-tech PCBAs can potentially have 20,000–30,000 solder joints, requiring sophisticated automated inspection techniques... READ MORE

18.02.2021

Complexity Index for PCBA Assembly
The Complexity Index (Ci) is a method of scoring the manufacturing complexity of PCBA assemblies proposed by Agilent many years... READ MORE

18.02.2021

What's 'World Class' for Solder Joint DPMO?
As the value of statistical process control (SPC) increases in importance when selecting a quality contract assembler, the... READ MORE

17.02.2021

Jabil Review
It goes without saying that Jabil Circuit is one of industry's most esteemed EMS providers. Founded almost fifty years ago,... READ MORE

17.02.2021

TTM Technologies Review
TTM Technologies is North America's largest printed circuit board supplier and fifth largest in the world. TTM focuses ... READ MORE

17.02.2021

Viasystems Review
Viasystems is one of the country’s leading providers of complex, high-reliability PCBs — most notably multi-layer rigid,... READ MORE

17.02.2021

Avnet vs. Arrow Electronics
Avnet, Inc. and Arrow Electronics have long dominated the electronics distribution market. With shared lineages in the radio... READ MORE

17.02.2021

Future Electronics Review
Future Electronics Future Electronics is the world’s fourth largest component distributor. The privately held company is... READ MORE

16.02.2021

Benchmark Electronics Review
Benchmark Electronics is a tier II EMS provider offering a full range of services to OEMs in diversified, high-complexity... READ MORE

16.02.2021

Plexus Corp Review
Plexus is a tier II EMS provider specializing in engineering, design, and assembly of high complexity products. Their Product... READ MORE

16.02.2021

Flextronics Review
As the second-largest EMS service provider in the world, Flextronics has been lauded for its excellent supply chain... READ MORE

16.02.2021

Review: Sanmina vs. Celestica
Celestica and Sanmina are two of the largest Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) providers by revenue. They each have... READ MORE

16.02.2021

Xilinx v. Flextronics: Insight to a Gray Market
In December of 2013, Xilinx filed a lawsuit against Singapore-based electronics contract manufacturer Flextronics for... READ MORE

15.02.2021

Quick and Easy Should Cost Analysis
Conducting a should cost analysis can seem daunting but is actually very achievable for most OEM's outsourcing electronic... READ MORE

15.02.2021

4 Documents Required to Quote a PCB Assembly
What do you need to get a quote on a PCB assembly? This is a great question and often a source of confusion. There are four... READ MORE

15.02.2021

Should I Tell My Contract Manufacturers What Others Have Quoted?
If they deserve it, yes. If you buy only on the basis of price, then no. READ MORE

15.02.2021

Contract Manufacturing Price Model: Cost Plus
Ever wonder how electronic contract manufacturers come up with their prices? Simple: they estimate their costs, then add... READ MORE

15.02.2021

5 Rules to Finding the Right-Size Contract Manufacturer
Here are 5 simple, real-world rules for finding the right-sized electronic contract manufacturer. READ MORE

13.02.2021

Why Does Price Vary Between Contract Manufacturers?
Contract manufacturers use a pricing method called cost plus (for a description of cost plus pricing, click here). This method... READ MORE

13.02.2021

How Are Electronic Components Priced?
A common industry myth is large EMS companies get the best component prices, a myth proclaimed by...large EMS companies. The... READ MORE

13.02.2021

Why Should Cost Analysis?
Here are 4 reasons why virtually all best-in-class purchasers of electronic contract manufacturing services have moved away... READ MORE

12.02.2021

How To Get Suppliers Costed BOMs
OEM's that employ strategic sourcing techniques often find contract manufacturers are reluctant to supply costed bill's of... READ MORE

12.02.2021

Should Cost Examples For PCB Assembly
Here's a pocket guide to printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) prices in China, Mexico, and the United States. Our pocket guide... READ MORE

10.02.2021

Should Cost Analysis vs. Strategic Sourcing
Strategic sourcing is the process of requesting quotes and comparing prices. By competing suppliers against each other the... READ MORE

10.02.2021

How Much Should NPI PCBAs Cost?
New product development builds are more expensive because of the small lot sizes and quick turnarounds. But how much more? Here's... READ MORE

10.02.2021

What is Product Realization?
The short answer is that product realization is a term used in ISO 9001:2008, referring to the basic design and realization of... READ MORE

10.02.2021

DPMO And How It Correlates In The Six Sigma Method
Тhе Ѕіх Ѕіgmа mеthоdоlоgу іs а sеt оf рrасtісеs dеsіgnеd tо іmрrоvе аn оrgаnіzаtіоn’s оvеrаll реrfоrmаnсе. Іt dоеs thіs thrоugh... READ MORE

10.02.2021

How Long Does a PCBA Quote Take?
Customers often report that getting PCBA quotes from their contract manufacturers is too time-consuming and a major source of... READ MORE

10.02.2021

What's the Difference Between Margin and Mark-Up?
A common confusion in pricing is the difference between mark-up and margin. Here's a quick explanation of both. READ MORE

10.02.2021

What is Should Cost Analysis?
Should cost analysis ("should costing") was developed by the Defense Department to assist procurement officers in determining... READ MORE

20.01.2021

On Time Delivery Definition and Measurement
On-time delivery (OTD) is one of contract manufacturing's most common measurements, but we rarely talk about how difficult it... READ MORE

23.04.2019

Embedded Microstrip Transmission Lines in RF PCB Design
Embedded Microstrip Strictly speaking, the application of soldermask, conformal coating or other surface treatments will change a... READ MORE

05.04.2019

Microstrip Transmission Lines in RF PCB Design
Microstrip is still by far the most commonly used transmission line structure in RF and microwave designs. This is becoming less... READ MORE

23.03.2018

RF PCB Stackups: X and Y Axis Isolation
Isolate In X/Y Axis Because this is a mixed signal design, we need to pay careful attention to how we will isolate these... READ MORE

25.01.2018

RF PCB Transmission Line Width
Typically, all connections in a digital circuit board are impedance controlled. This is by virtue of the fact that most layout... READ MORE

18.01.2018

Transmission Lines in RF PCB Design
Transmission Line Fundamentals Over the last ten to twenty years, advances in IC fabrication technology have led to huge... READ MORE

28.01.2016

Toward A More Rational Silkscreen
Today’s complex PCBs are being packed with a boatload of tiny components and are designed to run at ever-increasing speeds. So it... READ MORE

06.07.2015

PCB Surface Finishes Comparison: HASL, OSP, & ENIG
A PCB surface finish is a coating between a component and a bare board PCB. It is applied for two basic reasons: to ensure... READ MORE

26.06.2015

How are Electronics Components Priced? [Podcast]
In this episode of Outsourcing Things You Should Know you'll learn about: Three types of price for electronic components 1.... READ MORE

04.06.2015

4 KPIs Crucial to On-Time Delivery [Podcast]
Materials is the root cause of at least 80% of missed delivery commitments. The only way to effectively drive consistent... READ MORE

18.05.2015

Contract Manufacturing Price Model: Cost Plus [Podcast]
Ever wonder how electronic contract manufacturers come up with their prices? Simple: they estimate their costs, then add... READ MORE

22.04.2015

How to Place Breakaway Rails in a PCB Design
Designers must be aware that the customer-supplied board outline shape isn’t always necessarily the shape that is to be delivered... READ MORE

08.04.2015

On Time Delivery [Podcast]
The first episode of Outsourcing Things You Should Know, focusing on the oft-neglected subject of on-time delivery. Listen to... READ MORE

07.04.2015

Solder Paste: What Should I Be Using for My Product?
Choosing the right solder paste is like buying a new car: the options can seem endless, and it's really a matter of preference.... READ MORE

01.04.2015

Are Local Fiducials Necessary?
As pick-and-place machines become more precise, some assembly shops are doing away with local fiducials. Why take up real estate... READ MORE

18.02.2015

Schematic Symbol Properties for DxDesigner
As we’ve covered in other posts on schematic symbols, one of the key goals of a librarian is to maintain consistency, both in... READ MORE

17.02.2015

DxDesigner Tutorial: Pin Name Abbreviations
Optimum’s symbol library makes extensive use of various abbreviations in symbol names. Our previous posts have dealt with the... READ MORE

13.02.2015

DxDesigner Tutorial: Schematic Symbol Pins
While having appropriate labeling and naming for schematic symbols is the most critical aspect of organizing your symbol library,... READ MORE

12.02.2015

DxDesigner Tutorial: Schematic Symbol Naming Conventions
Much like your library of footprints or cells, proper naming conventions are critical for easy identification and utilization of... READ MORE

11.02.2015

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Renumber Pins Referenced by Parts
At various points in your design process it may be necessary to modify the pin naming or numbering of components in your design.... READ MORE

29.01.2015

About Optimum's Library Management Service
If you're familiar with Optimum Design's work, you probably know all about our EMS and PCB design services. What you may not... READ MORE

28.01.2015

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Add Dimension Data to a Cell
Dimensioning data can be an invaluable tool to PCB designers and librarians. It helps ensure accuracy and consistency, with... READ MORE

26.01.2015

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Make Schematic Symbols from CSV Files
General Process Overview Select a symbol Export pins to ms excel spreadsheet Make pin changes in the spreadsheet Import pins... READ MORE

23.01.2015

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Delete a Cell Referenced by a Part
While it won't always be necessary, there will come times when Cells must be deleted from your part library. Perhaps an error was... READ MORE

22.01.2015

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Display Control Settings for PCB Library
Mentor’s Display Control gives designers and librarians myriad options for influencing how a design is displayed on the screen.... READ MORE

20.01.2015

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Making PCB Library Components from Existing Parts
For increased consistency within a PCB library, it is often best to create new library parts from previously existing components... READ MORE

05.01.2015

Common PCB Library Errors
The component library is the most fundamental tool in a designer’s tool kit when it comes to laying out a PCB design. An... READ MORE

19.12.2014

PCB Library Management Part Five: Miscellaneous Modifiers
Throughout this series we’ve taken a look at almost every facet of library organization, with the end goal of streamlining the... READ MORE

18.12.2014

PCB Library Management Part Four: Pad and Padstack Naming
Pads and padstacks are one of the most critical portions of the library, and one of the easiest areas to make mistakes. As is the... READ MORE

17.12.2014

PCB Library Management Part Three: Symbol Naming
Symbols are the second major portion of any PCB library. Electrical symbols show the connection between parts, and are utilized... READ MORE

16.12.2014

PCB Library Management Part Two: Footprint Naming Conventions
Organizing your parts into partitions based on part type is a major step in organizing your library, but properly labeling each... READ MORE

15.12.2014

PCB Library Management Part One: Library Partition Naming
Component libraries can be difficult to manage, especially if multiple users are building the library without the aid of a... READ MORE

06.12.2014

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Mass Re-number Pins
There will come a time when the pin numbering on one of your library components just isn’t right. Gates could be swapped during... READ MORE

05.12.2014

Mentor Expedition Library Tutorial: Parameter Placing Pins
Placing pins can be one of the most time consuming aspects of library part creation – especially on components with high pin... READ MORE

04.12.2014

What Should My PCB Footprints Include?
Building a component library for your PCB designs is a painstaking process. Ensuring that all of your parts are perfectly... READ MORE

14.11.2014

Pin Vs. Gate Swapping in PCB Design
In order to have a clean route, occasionally the designer may have to swap pins or gates on some devices. Usually the devices... READ MORE

25.09.2014

Switching Power Supply PCB Layout Seminar
Optimum Design Associates Senior Designer Scott Nance presents a 45 minute seminar on PCB design best practices for... READ MORE

22.09.2014

What is PCB Library Administration and What Can it Do for You?
PCB layout design is not rocket science, but it does take time to do right. By taking the time to review your designs before you... READ MORE

02.09.2014

What Is A PCB?
Unless you are in an industry in which Printed Circuit Boards (PCB's) are used on a regular basis, you might not know exactly... READ MORE

02.09.2014

How to Use a Silkscreen to Identify PCB Components
The silkscreen is a helpful tool in identifying components on the board. During PCB layout it should be designed for a... READ MORE

22.07.2014

PCB Layout Prices Are Hard To Compare
Engineering managers tasked with outourcing PCB layout face a daunting challenge: comparing the total cost of multiple layout... READ MORE

22.07.2014

How Are PCB Layout Jobs Priced?
Determining a price for PCB layout services is conceptually simple: Estimated number of hours times an hourly rate. The trick is... READ MORE

10.07.2014

PCB Design Tips: 5 Need-to-Know Component Assembly Methods
Part of a designer's professional developments should be to learn as much as possible about the activities that go before and... READ MORE

10.07.2014

Schematic vs. Netlist: A Guide to PCB Design Integration
Integration is the process of adding intelligence to the PCB database by means of a netlist or schematic. This can only occur... READ MORE

10.07.2014

How to Place a PCB Bypass Capacitor: 6 Tips
The placement of bypass capacitors is one of the most critical phases of the design process. Failure to place them correctly can... READ MORE

10.07.2014

How to Bypass BGA Packages
Knowing how to place a bypass capacitor is a crucial step in PCB design. In most cases, we recommend that the bypass capacitor is... READ MORE

10.07.2014

Outsourcing PCB Design: A Primer
Deciding to outsource a PCB design can be a daunting task. Between choosing a design firm to handle the design, knowing what to... READ MORE

26.06.2014

How to Read a PCB Fabrication Drawing
A fabrication drawing specifies how the PCB is to be manufactured. There are four major sections to a fabrication drawing—Board... READ MORE

20.06.2014

5 Drafting Standards for PCB Drawings
All drawings must follow industry-accepted standards of drafting. They should communicate the essential information quickly to... READ MORE

07.05.2014

What is ODB++?
Originally developed by Valor, ODB++ is an electronic database for printed circuit board manufacturing. Created in 1995, it was... READ MORE

31.03.2014

Lean NPI at ODA Part One: Where Are We Now?
For more than twenty years, Optimum Design Associates (Optimum) has offered their customers PCB design and layout services, and... READ MORE

31.03.2014

HDI Layer Stackups for Large Dense PCBs
A few days into a recent project for one of our customers, the lead engineer called me to tell me that the PCB design would have... READ MORE

31.03.2014

DDR Memory Layout Design: Rules, Factors, Considerations
Jump rope is a popular childhood activity involving two people swinging the ends of a long rope, with a third person in the... READ MORE

31.03.2014

Switching Power Supply PCB Layout Considerations – Towards a Better Switcher
Have you ever started a switching power supply layout, only to realize that it is impossible to match the datasheet’s suggested... READ MORE

31.03.2014

Clearance and Creepage Rules for PCB Assembly
Electrical spacing rules become significant from a product safety perspective when the normal operating voltage is greater than... READ MORE

28.03.2014

5 Clues You've Found the Right-Size Contract Manufacturer
If you've followed our 5 rules for finding the right-size CM you should be with the right-size contract manufacturing company.... READ MORE

05.03.2014

4 KPIs Crucial to On-Time Delivery
Materials is the root cause of at least 80% of missed delivery commitments. The only way to effectively drive consistent... READ MORE

25.02.2014

What Is DPMO? [Infographic]
READ MORE

21.02.2014

Case Study: Converting Debug Tools into Manufacturing Fixtures
Optimum Design Associates manufactures high-density circuit boards, some of which are installed into higher-level assemblies.... READ MORE

21.02.2014

Case Study: Bonding Failure on a Composite Structure
A supply chain is an organism. For an organism to thrive, each part—cells, organelles, atoms—must work together. A supply chain’s... READ MORE
VIEW MORE
Get in touch!
If you think we’re the right fit for your next project, or just have a quick question, we’d love to hear from you.